Hydroponic Grow Light Coverage Hydro Scripts
Casey Jones Fraser www.gardengroveorganics.com
Preface — An older customer has been growing for years, ever since he retired. He was a mechanical engineer, so he felt very confident with his setup and design. His flowering garden was lit with a single 1000w HPS light, on a mover, covering a 4 ft. x 8 ft. space. With his engineering background, it was hard for him to heed my suggestions regarding layout and lights. Here’s what happened when he decided to take my advice on Hydroponic Grow Light Coverage Hydro Scripts
Customer: You were right about that light. I can get just as much from a 4’ x 4’ space as I was from a 4’ x 8’ space. Everything turned out great.
CJF: I know you were using a light mover. Did you change anything else?
Customer: Yeah, I bought that big ass reflector from you. That thing puts off much better coverage than my older, smaller hood. I harvested fruits the size of my leg!
CJF: It’s funny you mention that. I was just telling someone else that a 1000w light would not adequately cover his 7’ x 7’ area. He was complaining of weak plants and low yields. When I told him to concentrate on a 4’ x 4’ area, he told me that would reduce his yield even more.
Customer: No way! I’ll tell him myself! Where is he?! I’ll tell him about my garden!
CJF: Hey, calm down! We’ll set him straight eventually. I tried to explain that the weaker plants on the dimly lit perimeter would bring down the health of the rest of his garden. Any fungus or pests that are contracted by the weaker plants will be shared with the center plants as well.
Customer: That makes sense. Did I tell you my crop tasted better this round? Is that why? Fungus and pests?
CJF: That could be a factor, but the bottom line is that your plants were healthier this time. Healthy plants always taste better than weak, overfed plants.
Customer: I fed them the same levels that I have in the past, but I had half as many plants. I only used half the amount of nutrients.
CJF: You may have been overfeeding in the past. Now your plants have a constant, intense light source during their daylight hours. The plants were able to metabolize the food you gave them this time. If your old gardens were overfed, all of those stored fertilizers were killing the flavor.
Customer: I believe it. The quality, size, density, flavor,… It was all so much better. As soon as I get a bigger air conditioner, I’m buying another 1000w light. I’ve got the extra space now, and I can double the yield that I have been getting.
CJF: Excellent! Make sure you watch your temps and humidity levels. Stationary lights can get hot fast. Keep it cool, and your plants will continue to thrive.
Final Note — You can cover larger or smaller areas with your grow lights, but thousands of indoor gardens all over the world have taught us the parameters in which our lights work best. For dense flowering annuals, the following lighting coverage is preferred:
1000W HID 4’ X 4’
600W HID 3’ X 3’
400W HID 2’ X 2’
Note: the above light level coverage is recommended for plants that require high levels of intense light, and typically, this is for the peak flowering period. Though early development, and with some plants later in ripening, lower lighting intensities may be preferable.
